


worth it

by bonnieanonnie



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Drabble, M/M, Underage Drinking, allusions to homophobia, kind of inspired by pose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 06:36:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21333847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonnieanonnie/pseuds/bonnieanonnie
Summary: prompt: jeonghan as a bartender and seungcheol is the little lost lamb that fell prey to long island tea
Relationships: Choi Seungcheol | S.Coups/Yoon Jeonghan
Comments: 3
Kudos: 54





	worth it

**Author's Note:**

> a cc drabble that ran away from me, pls excuse any typos or if it's incoherent.

when the boy at the other end of the bar stands up and then promptly slumps to the ground, just barely managing to avoid hitting his head on the edge of the bar, jeonghan was half-expecting it. he'd never seen the boy before, and judging by his proper white button up and dark sports jacket, jeonghan would wager that he was recently escaped. jeonghan knew boys like him, even if he'd never been like them, could spot the ones who'd grown up in strict but nonetheless loving homes, who'd made the mistake of thinking their parents could open their hearts for who they were, only to be faced with the cruel realisation that their parents' love came with strict conditions. conditions they could never meet. 

jeonghan had a soft spot for boys like him, who knew little of the cruelties of the world apart from what they'd read on the news or learnt when volunteering with their churches. he'd kept an eye on the boy because of this, had counted his drinks and tried to make sure he wasn't given anything too strong. sadly it was a busy night, and baekho had for some reason given the boy a long island iced tea when jeonghan was distracted. jeonghan guessed that was the drink that was now to blame for the boy's sorry state.

he moves to the boy's side as fast as he can, calling over his shoulder for baekho to keep an eye on the bar as he sets to aid the drunk boy.

he helps the boy to his feet, having to use all his strength to get him up. he was heavy, build much broader and sturdier than jeonghan's. it was a wonder no one had even attempted to pick him up. boys like him were usually given an unofficial probation period, their clean cut looks too similar to the dress of those who persecuted them. but, jeonghan thinks as the blush rises on his cheeks when the boy wraps thick arms around him for balance, with a boy as handsome as this it was a wonder no one had accepted the risk.

the boy is leaning heavily onto him, a dopey smile on his face, and when he opens his mouth all that comes out is a strange slurred sound, but jeonghan gets the gist. thank you, he's trying to say. it makes him laugh, and it seems that his laughing makes the boy laugh, because before jeonghan knows it, he's graced with the view of the most wonderful grin and a loud, shameless giggle.

"where do you live?" he asks the boy, shifting his feet trying to stay upright under the boy's weight. he was getting heavy, but jeonghan didn't want to let it show, quite enjoyed having someone as handsome as this boy wrapped around him.

"uhh--" the boy frowns cutely. jeonghan smiles again."mi-- mister--"

the boy struggles to find the words for a few more minutes, but there’s no need for him to finish, jeonghan knows the place he’s talking about. mr hong’s was a kind of halfway home for people like them, for kids who’d gotten kicked out and needed help starting their new lives. it was run by a priest and his family, and while jeonghan was hardly religious, he admired the priest for openly fighting for them. he was the only priest jeonghan knew who did so.

“i know the place,” he assures the boy, slowly starting to pull him toward the entrance of the bar.”is it okay if i help you get home? i’m jeonghan.”

\--

seungcheol couldn’t believe his luck. his first night out and he meets the most beautiful boy in the world. he’d been staring at him all night, sighing into his drinks hoping simultaneously that the boy would notice his staring and not realise he was there. the boy had the most wonderfully lilting voice, and at some point another patron had made him laugh, and the sound had caused seungcheol’s heart to sing. he was perfect, with his long blonde hair and delicate features. seungcheol has never seen anyone like him before.

when the boy then appears at his side and helps him off the floor, seungcheol knows it’s meant to be. he had to admit he was a little embarrassed, this wasn’t the state he’d hoped to be in upon meeting the love of his life, but it would have to do.

“jeonghan,” he can’t help but repeat after the boy introduces himself, the rest of his words lost on him, all of his focus on memorising the boy's name. his heart skips a beat at the way jeonghan blinks prettily at him, and he tries to gain enough control over his feet to follow jeonghan's lead, but ends up stumbling after him gracelessly.

“and you are?” jeonghan coaxes as he pulls seungcheol along. seungcheol can feel him tremble under his weight, causing him to make an attempt to lean away and standing on his own, but he quickly starts swaying, the room spinning around him until jeonghan’s arms are around his torso again, keeping him steady once more.

“seungcheol,” he says once steady. he realises belatedly that he’s placed his hands on jeonghan’s back, and he quickly retracts them, scolding his drunken mind for touching the other boy without permission. just because he’d been drinking didn’t mean he could go around putting his hands on pretty boys, he thinks to himself somberly, a frown settling on his features as he sternly corrects himself.

“a-are you alright, seungcheol?” jeonghan’s unsure voice is what pulls him from his thoughts, and seungcheol has to shake his head to get his vision to focus on the boy in front of him again. their faces were incredibly close, he notes with a swoop of his stomach, only a couple of decimeters separating them.”do you want help getting home?”

“yes!” seungcheol rushes to say, voice slurring in his eager to answer the question. he wanted to spend as much time as possible with jeonghan, was desperate for a chance to get to know the kind boy. he starts urging them both along, once more leaning his weight on the other boy in his attempts to get moving.

when they step outside, after an embarrassing amount of time trying to get seungcheol up the stairs, the air is warm and humid, but even so it works to clear seungcheol’s head, and by the time they reach the first street corner, he doesn’t need jeonghan to support his weight anymore. despite this, he makes sure to stumble his feet every few metres, not wanting jeonghan to slip out from where he's now tucked under his arm.

“how old are you?” jeonghan asks from under his arm as they walk. somewhere behind them a crowd of people are yelling loudly, the commotion momentarily stealing seungcheol’s attention. the city streets were always busy at night, and despite having spent almost a month in the city, in his new home, it was such a stark contrast to the sleepy town he was from that it felt impossible to get used to.

he belatedly registers jeonghan's question, redirecting his attention to the boy under his arm. it was still difficult to look right at him, with his cute nose and delicate, brown eyes jeonghan must have been created with the sole purpose of making men like seungcheol tongue tied, but he forces himself to not stutter as he answers.

“just turned nineteen.”

“oh, i turn nineteen in a couple of months.” jeonghan smiles at him happily, and seungcheol rejoices the fact that they're the same age, loves that they now have two things they can share, he's about to say as much when a realisation hits him.

“you’re working at the bar underage?” he's got a disapproving frown on his face. working in a bar couldn't be very safe, especially not if jeonghan wasn't even an adult yet. in the back of his head he has the thought that seungcheol was in the very same bar, getting piss drunk while still very much underage, but he dismisses the thought, deeming it irrelevant.

“i’ve done a lot of things while underage.” jeonghan says it easily, almost like a joke, but it makes seungcheol frown even harder. jeonghan catches the look on his face and gives a wry smile, slipping out from under seungcheol’s arm as he speaks, and seungcheol mourns the loss.”don’t make that face, we all have to do what we can to survive.”

“i wasn’t judging you,” seungcheol hurries to clarify.”it’s just unfair, is all.”

“well, you’re right about that, cheollie.” seungcheol’s heart skips a beat at the familiar nickname.

"do you mind if i ask about your family?"

seungcheol's smile falls from his face. he does his best to remain stoic, straightens his back and clenched his jaw.

"i told them, they decided they couldn't stand for it," he looks down the street, attempts to appear untethered despite his throbbing chest."when i refused to pretend to be 'normal' they kicked me out, simple as that."

"i'm sorry," jeonghan tells him, voice full of sympathy, and seungcheol feels him take a gentle hold of his hand as the keep walking leisurely. his joy at getting to hold the beautiful boy's hand is drowned out by the way his eyes tear up at the show of empathy."but you're among friends now, if it helps."

"it's not an easy life," he continues."it's occasionally degrading and often dangerous, but at least now you can be honest, with yourself and with the world."

seungcheol appreciates that jeonghan doesn't sugar coat it. he's seen what life has in store for most people like him, and it's a bleak and precarious future. he turns his head and looks at the boy walking next to him, tightens the hold on his hand. but, he thinks to himself, there were some clear upsides to it.

jeonghan leads them around a corner, and seungcheol finally starts recognising his surroundings. he tells jeonghan as much, drawing a tinkling little giggle out of the boy, and the sound makes seungcheol wish he could tuck it away into his heart, to keep it for himself forever. despite his clearing mind, he couldn't shake the thought that jeonghan was special, was going to be important to him. seungcheol had spent many hours fantasizing about the first boy he'd ever love. where he'd take him for dates, how he'd make him laugh, the many shirts he'd let his boyfriend borrow. seungcheol could easily imagine jeonghan in every one of his fantasies, and he was desperate to make them all a reality.

they continue on their walk for a few more minutes, quickly approaching seungcheol's halfway home. he is loathe to having to say goodbye to jeonghan, and as they get closer he frantically tries to muster up the courage to ask to meet jeonghan again.

the last few minutes of their walk is mostly jeonghan talking, giving him tips on where to go for the best food and places where people like them could spend time unbothered. seungcheol does his best to listen, but jeonghan is still holding his hand, and the skin contact makes him dizzy, unable to fully focus on anything but the way jeonghan’s thin fingers felt wrapped around his own, thicker ones.

when they’re outside the halfway home jeonghan stops abruptly, seungcheol stumbling forward until he’s by the brick wall, hand regrettably losing its grip on jeonghan. he turns around and watches jeonghan who stands looking up at the building.

"i have friends who've stayed here," the blonde says as he looks the building up and down with a critical eye."they say it's a bit of a shithole."

seungcheol laughs loudly at jeonghan's sudden cursing.

"they're right," he says with a shrug, leaning heavily against the wall. he was slowly feeling the exhaustion set into his bones, but he didn’t want to part with jeonghan quite yet.“but it’s temporary, anyway.”

“where will you go, after?” seungcheol’s heart twitches at the tone of jeonghan’s voice, the concern dripping from every word.”if you need-- i-i mean--”

jeonghan cuts himself off, crossing his arms in front of himself. seungcheol grins at him, it was sweet of jeonghan to be so worried about him, even though they’d just met.

“don’t worry, i’m moving into my dorms in a few weeks anyway.”

“dorms? like,” jeonghan’s eyes widen with wonder.”university dorms?”

"uhh-" seungcheol is a little confused at jeonghan's wondrous tone, and the way he's looking at him makes him feel hot all over."y-yeah, i have a football scholarship, gonna major in music."

“wow!” jeonghan sounds genuinely amazed, and he keeps looking at seungcheol like he’s never seen someone like him before. seungcheol tries not to squirm where he stands.”i always wanted to go to university, but it’s so expensive.”

jeonghan takes a few steps closer to him, eyes glittering in the light from the street lamps.“it’s really impressive that you have a scholarship!”

seungcheol shrugs, flush spreading over his cheeks the longer jeonghan stares at him and the closer he gets. it made sense that jeonghan couldn’t go to university. seungcheol didn’t know his situation, but he assumed he wouldn’t be working at a bar underage if he had the support of a loving family who could help him pay for university. it made him sad to think that jeonghan had to give up the future he dreamt of just because of who he loved.

“thanks, it’s really not that big of a deal.” he reaches an arm up to rub at the back of his neck bashfully.

“don’t say that!” jeonghan’s hand lands on his arm, squeezing his bicep, making seungcheol’s stomach swoop again.”you should be proud of yourself.”

seungcheol looks up at him, takes in his kind eyes and the cute pout to his lips. 

“if you want i could--” jeonghan nods at him to continue, and seungcheol’s whole body grows warm. his hand is still on his arm, now having slid down to grasp around his wrist. seungcheol really, really wants to hold his hand again, but can’t quite muster up the courage to do so. next time, he vows.”i could take you on a tour of my campus, w-when i’ve moved in and all.”

“i’d really like that.” this time it’s jeonghan’s turn to blush, and seeing the light dusting of pink spread over his pretty cheekbones makes seungcheol’s heart swell in his chest. 

“it’s a date, then,” seungcheol doesn’t realise what he’s said before he says it. he’s just about to backtrack when jeonghan flushes even deeper, high pitched giggle slipping from his lips as one hand comes up to cover his mouth.

“it’s a date.” the way seungcheol’s insides melt as jeonghan says it is unlike anything he’s ever felt before, and in that moment, while his eyes are locked with jeonghan’s and he’s got this pretty boy’s gentle hand wrapped around his arm, he decides that it was definitely worth it. getting disowned, getting cursed at, having to figure his whole life out for himself, it was all worth it so long as he gets to feel his heart flutter in this way.

“it’s getting late.” jeonghan, to seungcheol’s great regret, takes his hand from his arm and steps back.”i should head back to the bar for closing.”

“walk carefully,” he urges, eyes concerned while jeonghan only laughs and flicks his hair over his shoulder.

“don’t worry, seungcheollie,” he assures him as he begins walking away.”i’m used to walking alone.”

_i’ll put an end to that_, he decides, keeping his thoughts to himself, _you won’t have to ever be alone anymore_.

“see you around, cheollie!” jeonghan calls right as he rounds a corner.

“see you, hani!” he shouts after him, heart full as he listens to jeonghan’s laugh echo down the dark street.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on twitter @jeonghannieya


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